PARAGOULD (AP) — The $16.5 million expansion of the Greene County jail funded by a sales tax increase is scheduled to be complete this fall, officials said.

Voters overwhelmingly approved the tax increase last year after authorities said the current jail, built in 1993, was too small to fit the county’s needs.

“The majority of the voters certainly spoke and said they wanted a secure facility to keep the crime element of Greene County locked up,” project manager Dave Tierney said.

The new jail will be connected to the old facility, which will be used for offices for jail staff.

The Paragould Daily Press reported (http://bit.ly/1c7pDaC ) the new jail will house up to 488 inmates and include three wings, known as “pods.” A central station will be placed within each of the pods, where officers and employees can see directly into cell blocks through one-way glass.

The jail also includes an indoor recreation area instead of the typical outdoor space for inmates to exercise, Tierney said.

“The less you have to handle a person through that facility, the safer it is for everybody,” Tierney said.

The new facility will also offer video visitation so inmates can speak with their visitors through Skype or a similar service.

“It’s very new in the detention (facility) world,” Tierney said. “It’s not a luxury — it’s a security issue. That ensures safety to the employees, to the facility and inmate to inmate.”

County Sheriff Dan Langston said the current jail is too small for the current inmate population, and it’s difficult to meet safety standards at the facility.

“Really, we don’t have the room. Consequently, it’s been helter-skelter,” he said.